Running From Cops…A Hip Hop Odyssey

Rast RFC shares the story of his come up in the gritty streets of New York City.

Before I go into a specific incident that scarred me for life, I feel it is necessary to explain how karma played a huge part in this life-changing event.

My brother and I would bicker back and forth over bullshit; fighting like cats and dogs in the graffiti covered bedroom we shared in the Bronx. One day we were fighting and he bruised my ego pretty badly. At that time I had various guns in the house and that day I pulled one out, right in front of my mother, and placed it directly on his chest and pulled the trigger. I am brought to tears when I write about this…Luckily, there were no bullets in the chamber. But as he left the apartment, I shot at him out the window. I nearly killed my own brother. I am so ashamed of this fact. There is no excuse or explanation that can do this injustice justice.

About a week later, me and some of the crew were in the Village. I was 14 at the time and draped in some crazy ill Tommy Hilfiger print button-up. I had just come from hittin’ up a local liquor store and I was walking down West 3rd Street with a huge bottle of Absolut Vodka down my pants. I was lagging behind everyone because I was limping due to the bottle. As we reach McDougal Street I notice like 15 dudes from WON Team (a bunch of crazy, mostly Spanish and black kids from the LES). Now my crew didn’t even notice that this was the main crew we had beef with at the time and they didn’t know that my guys were RFC, so they walked right past each other — until they saw me. Everybody recognized me wherever I went because I had long dreadlocks. This was not always a good thing. I remember looking into the eyes of one of the WON Team kids that I knew from when I was like, ten years old. That’s when he pointed me out to another kid who started viciously slashing my face.

My face changed forever. I was deeply traumatized by this because I was always praised for my looks as a “pretty boy.” I even turned down many modeling opportunities because back then I felt that male models were “pussies.” I regret those decisions now. The whole crew went insane after I was cut. My man even slashed one of the WON Team’s girlfriends in the face because of what happened to me. Now, as I reflect back on how deeply and psychologically affected I was by my face being slashed, I can only imagine how this innocent girl must feel living with such a severe facial scar. Even to this day, as a professional, I wonder if people look at me and say, “Look at him, he’s probably been to jail,” or, “I wonder what he did to deserve that?” The truth is, I didn’t deserve this. Nor did that innocent young girl, but it happened. And now we must live forever with these reminders of a dark past that stares back at us in the mirror.

After I got cut, I became even more of a “menace to society,” cutting, stabbing and shooting everything. I just didn’t care anymore. My drug use increased, I was smoking PCP every day and I carried a gun and a razor wherever I went.

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I remember hearing you guys build on this at Nitehawk back in the winter. Glad to finally read it.

Kenji Takabayashi

Great read.

COM 2DVS. RFC

I miss my
RFC BROTHER .. THIS ARTICLE BROUGHT ME BACK ..

Cuzzo Ray

That’s story is full of BS and lies . This fool didnt grab no gun. He was hiding in the car. Anyway this is Cuzo Ray , stay tune for the real story. Imagination is a mother … Lol RI ..

NestWAR

Nigga if u aint Ray 1 shut the fuck up….Cuzzo Ray

Rast

Rast:

Ray, as a man, I respect y’all because y’all were gully enough to run up in the crib, guns out. Also, looking back, I now feel that it was irrepressible of me to put that segment in the story because the last thing I want to do is reignite any old beef, so as a man, I apologize.

However, the truth is the truth, and even though I am ashamed to say this, I almost, recklessly discharged a firearm at someone who me and you smoked weed with at one time, that night; two weeks later he was man enough to give me a “fair one” on 14th and 8th ave, and I think we shooks hands afterwards, ask him.

With that said, I now regret putting that part in the story
because I should have known that I would offend y’all. I guess I’m still learning life
lessons.

Peace.

Cuzzo Ray

U talking like u that dude .. Make me shut the fuck up.. On RI u can see me any time crab…

Rast

PEACE!

ja xtc

Scuzzo
You are probably too old to be talking tough on the internet. Have a turkey and cheese sandwich from the bodega and wash it down with a rusty dildo.

Erica

A friend told me to read this article because my sister was mentioned. It hurtful to learn why she was slash. It was painful to relive this memory but it answered my question why.

Rast

I am so sorry that happen to your sister. I often wish I could go back in time and change the course of my life sometimes. I hope she has been able to heal physically and mentally.

This may sound strange, but I would like to meet her if she was willing; maybe we could speak to teens in high schools about senseless gang violence and the effects on those close to them.

Love and blessings,

@Rast_RFC

WHITE KAM

WHAT HAPPENED THEY THOUGHT THE ROOSEVELT ISLAND NIGGAS AINT HAVE INTERNET

WHITE KAM

IT AINT NO BEEF. BUT YOU PUTTING NIGGAS NAMES ON THE NET IN RELATION TO SOME NONSENSE SO ALL WE SAYIN IS “NEXT TIME CHECK WITH THE HOMIES BEFORE YOU PUT THAT PART IN THE MOVIE” THE ROOSEVELT NIGGAS IS STILL HERE! AND THANKS FOR THE SHINE.

WHITE KAM

P.S. if Mass Appeal wants to hear about some young youth running rampant through Manhattan digging in these “Cool drug dealers” pockets and not just these RFC cats they were just the first. Holla at Cuzzo Ray his story is crazy. #FACTS

Cuzzo Play

Roosevelt island always been soft. y’all live in the shadows of QB, Ravenswood and Astoria pjs. so sit down, grow up, and leave the tough talk alone.

Rast

MY SINCERE APOLOGIES TO EVERYBODY ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND. THAT PART OF THE STORY HAS BEEN REMOVED.

$bin

Going to venture a guess that Mecca is/was Raphael De Niro, because Tribeca and looking Arab and graf arrest.

John Echo

I remember doing a credit card scam to get Walkmans at the Wiz w CA. When it was Uniques we were out there everyday after school. Circa 91 – 92